If you are reluctant to admit that you have someone with a mental illness in your family who needs treatment, try not to let the fear of being labeled prevent you from seeking help. Stigma doesn’t always come from others. You may believe that your condition is a sign of weakness or that you should be able to manage your life. Receiving psychological counseling and connecting with others with a mental illness, can help you gain self-esteem and overcome destructive self-judgment.
If you have a mental illness, you may be reluctant to share this knowledge but at least, share this knowledge with your partnerTurn to people you trust for compassion, support and understanding. I am a great believer in doing this.
If you have a mental illness, you must not equate yourself with your illness. You are not an illness so rather than say, ‘I’m bipolar,’ see how it sounds to say; ‘I have a bipolar disorder, or I am a person with schizophrenia’ rather than using the term schizophrenic. Rather than describe yourself as depressed, spit out the words; ‘I have a clinical depression.’
